The present invention relates generally to log splitting devices and more particularly to a mobile log splitter with splitting, hauling and unloading functions performed by a single piece of equipment.
Those concerned with the harvesting and preparing of timber for use in domestic fireplaces and woodburning stoves have long been acquainted with the problems encountered in efficiently processing and delivering standing trees from a harvest area to a storage area. A particular problem is the amount of equipment and time necessary to split, load, transport and unload the firewood. Typically, trees are felled and cut into various lengths at a wooded area, then loaded and transported back to a location where they are manually unloaded and split. The split logs are then reloaded, transported to a storage area and manually unloaded a second time. This process requires the use of hauling equipment, splitting equipment and substantial manpower.
In the past, log splitters have been developed which are mobile and can be hauled to the harvest area in order for the cutting and splitting to take place in one location. Although, in general, these devices have performed the log-splitting function satisfactorily, they have always required supplemental transporting equipment such as a truck or car and trailer. For the typical domestic user or small-scale entreprenuer, the cost and time involved in cutting splitting, hauling and unloading firewood quickly begins to outweight the advantages of utilizing the abundant and inexpensive fuel source. Additionally, the required supplemental hauling equipment has always required manual unloading which increases the time and expense involved.
The use of wood as an alternative energy source has increased rapidly in recent years, especially in the domestic context for supplemental or even primary space heating. Large-scale commercial processors have taken advantage of the increased market for firewood and have been reaping the profits of this new industry by mass producing and thereby keeping unit prices competitive. Even though trees are available for harvest on an individual basis, domestic users and small-scale entrepreneurs have been unable to economically harvest the resource due to the cost of the required pieces of equipment and time involved, with the result being that they are placed at the mercy of the large-scale producers.
The domestic user and small-scale entrepreneur have a need for equipment that provides an inexpensive and efficient means for harvesting firewood, but to date, the equipment available is too expensive and requires too much time to be economical.